Magnetic valve



y 25, 5 w. F. JACKSON 2,679,258

MAGNETIC VALVE Filed June 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

M'Zbap l? Jae/{$012.

HIS ATTORNEY May 25, 1954 w. F. JACKSON 2,679,253

MAGNETIC VALVE Filed June 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 MM? a Q; I w T qw & R I 1;; a 8% Qw 1N VEN TOR.

Wilbur 1 7 $059012.

Hi6 ATTOZZIVZ'Y Patented May 25, 1954 MAGNETIC VALVE Wilbur F. Jackson, Compton,

Calif., assignor to Robertshaw-Fulton Controls Company, Greensburg, Pa., a

Application June 28,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to electromagnetic safety devices and more particularly is directed to such devices employed in connection with gas burning apparatus for use in heating appliances such as hot water heaters, ranges, and the like.

Electromagnetic devices have long been utilized to effect automatic closing of a fuel valve in the event of the occurrence of a predetermined condition such as pilot flame failure or the like. Such devices must ordinarily be reset after they operate and usually retain the fuel valve closed during such resetting to prevent escape of unburned fuel from the burner being controlled. In devices now on the market, the electromagnetic device comprises a magnet frame and an armature separable from the frame for holding the fuel valve closed, the magnet frame being movable into engagement with the armature to eifect resetting while retaining the valve closed. My copending application, Serial No. 98,486, filed June 11, 1949, now Patent No. 2,604,266, issued July 22, 1952, discloses an automatic shut-off of this type.

In some heating appliances, the pilot burner is so located that it is extremely difiicult to manually ignite the same and ignition thereof is considerably simplified if it can be ignited from the main burner after the main burner ,has been ignited. However, to effect such ignition, the electromagnetically controlled valve must be opened to admit fuel to the main burner during resetting of the electromagnetic device. It is accordingly an object of this invention to reset an electromagnetic device in which a magnet is movable to effect the resetting and at the same time open a main fuel valve controlled by such device.

Another object of this invention is to adapt electromagnetically controlled valves, having a magnet movable to reset the same, to open during the resetting operation.

Another object of this invention is to open a fuel control valve in response to resetting movement of the magnet frame of a controlling device.

Another object of this invention is to move the armature of an electromagnetic valve control device toward the magnet frame in response to movement of the magnet frame toward the armature.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention, a lever device, operatively engageable with the armature of an electromagnetic control, is actuated by movement of the magnet frame to move the armature toward the magnet frame.

Other objects and advantages will appear from corporation of Delaware 1952, Serial No. 296,149

the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a control valve embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectiona1 view of the apparatus shown in Fig. l with the parts thereof in different operating positions; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the parts thereof in still another operating position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the specific construction illustrated as showing one form of the present invention comprises a main valve body 19 provided with an inlet chamber 12 and an outlet chamber M adapted to be respectively connected to a source of fluid fuel and a burner (not shown). A partition l6 separates the inlet and outlet chamber I2, i l and is provided with a valve seat l8 surrounding a port 28 through which communication is effected between the inlet and outlet chambers. Carried on the valve body H1 in alignment with and extending into the valve port 20 is an elongated boss 22 with a cylindrical recess 24 formed in one end thereof. Seated in the recess 24 is a centrally located cylindrical guide element 26, the peripheral wall of which cooperates with the cylindrical wall of the recess 24 to define an annular space. A hollow valve stem 28, having an annular cross section, is slidably mounted in the space between the guide element 26 and the wall of the recess 24.

One end of the valve stem 28 is flanged to form a valve disc or member 30 on which is mounted the usual annulus 32 of resilient material arranged to contact the valve seat [8. The annulus 32 is normally retained out of engagement with the valve seat I8 by a spring 34 disposed within the valve stem 28 and acting between the guide element 26 and the valve member 30.

The valve body It is provided with a valve chamber 36 in axial alignment with the valve stem 28. A flexible diaphragm 38 extends across and acts as a closure for the valve chamber 35. Mounted upon the valve body i0 is a generally cup-shaped housing 40 which is positioned to engage the edge portion of the diaphragm 33 with the open end thereof in registry with the valve chamber 35. The housing 40 may be secured to the valve body It by cap screws (not shown) or the like so that the diaphragm 38 will be clamped between the valve body it and the housing 43 to seal the body It against leakage at this point.

An electromagnetic device, indicated generally by the reference 42, is disposed within the housing 40 and is adapted to move the valve member 30 against the bias of the spring 34 and into engagement with the seat I8 to interrupt communication between the inlet chamber l2 and the outlet chamber I4 upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition.

The electromagnetic device 42 is here shown as comprising a magnet casing 44 slidably mounted in the housing 40 for rectilinear movement along the axis of the valve stem 26. A push button 46 is carried on one end of the casing 44 and extends through an aperture 48 formed in the end wall 58 of the housing 46 to be accessible for manual actuation. Seated on an inwardly extending flange 52, formed on the side wall of the housing 46, is a spring 54 which engages the magnet casing 44 to urge the same away from the valve seat l8 and into engagement with the end wall 56 of the housing 45.

Securely mounted in the magnet casing 44 for movement therewith is a magnet frame 58 carrying a winding or energizing coil 58. A flexible lead 66 extends through the magnet casing 44 and serves to connect the energizing coil 58 to a fitting 62 formed on the side wall of the housing as and adapted to b connected to a source of electrical energy such as a thermocouple or the like.

An armature stem 64 extends slidably through the end wall of the magnet casing 44 opposite the end wall which carries the push button 46. The end of the armature stem 64 extending into the magnet casing 44 carries an armature 66 which may be staked thereto and which is separable from the magnet frame 56 for movement between attracted and released positions. That end of the armature stem 64 disposed outside of the magnet casing 44 carries a collar 68 which is prevented from axial movement by a snap ring is disposed in a suitable groove formed in the armature stem 64 and abutting the collar 63.

Acting between the collar 58 and the magnet casing 44 is a coil spring 12 which serves to bias the assembly of the armature stem 64 and the armature 66 away from the magnet frame 56 and toward the valve seat 18. The bias of the spring 12 is not great enough to move the armature 66 out of engagement with the pole faces of the magnet frame 56 when the coil 58 is energized. However, the spring 12 is of sufficient strength to move the armature stem 64 into operative engagement with the valve member 30 and overcome the bias of the spring 34 to move the seating portion 32 of the valve member 30 into engagement with the valve seat l8 when the energizing coil 53 is deenergized.

As is customary in devices of this type, the magnetic attraction of the magnet 56, 58 is not sufiicient to move the armature 66 against the bias of the spring 12 when the coil 58 is energized and the armature 66 is in the released position. Accordingly, reset means is provided for resetting the armature 66 in engagement with the pole faces of the magnet frame 56.

Heretofore, such reset means consisted of the push button 46 which was manually depressed to mov the casing 44 against the bias of the springs 54, 12 thereby moving the magnet frame 56 into engagement with the armature 66. During such a resetting operation, the valve member 36 remained seated on the valve seat l8 and prevented fluid flow between the inlet chamber l2 and the outlet chamber l4.

To overcome this disadvantage and to permit fluid to flow through the valve port 20 during the resettin operation, means is provided for moving the armature 66 toward the magnet frame tate about the shaft 82 in 56 and means is also provided for actuating the last named means upon movement of the magnet casing 44 and magnet frame 56 toward the armature 66 to thereby permit the valve member 30 to move away from the valve seat 18 under the bias of the spring 34.

To this end, a bell-crank lever 14 is positioned within the housing 40 with one end 16 thereof disposed in underlying relation with the end of the armature stem 64. A thrust element in the form of a rivet 18 is carried on the central portion of the diaphragm 38 and is normally maintained in engagement with the end 16 of the bell-crank lever 14 by the spring 34 which urges the valve member 30 against the rivet 18.

The bell-crank lever is pivotally mounted on the housing 46 by an apertured lug 8D welded to a medial portion of the bell-crank lever 14 and pivoted on a shaft 82 extending across the interior of the housing 40 and secured to the walls thereof.

The other end of the bell-crank lever 14 is provided with an offset portion 84 which is positioned to be engaged by the lower edge 86 of the magnet casing 44 when the same move toward the valve seat la. The offset portion 84 of the bell-crank lever [4 lies in a plane which is disposed at an acute angle to the axis of the magnet casing 44 and thus defines a cam surface along which the edge 86 of the magnet casing 44 will move as the magnet casing 44 moves toward the valve seat l8. Engagement of the edge 86 of the magnet casing 44 with the offset portion 84 will thus be effective to transmit forces to the bell-crank lever 14 and cause the same to roa counterclockwise direction, as viewed in the drawing, to move the armature stem 64 and armature 65 toward the magnet frame 56.

Operation In Fig. 1 the device thus far described is shown with the armature E6 in released position, the sprin 12 acting through the armature stem 54, the end 16 of the bell-crank lever 1'4, and the rivet 18 to overcome the bias of the spring 34 and hold the valve member 36 against the valve seat 18. Flow of fuel between the inlet chamber l2 and the outlet chamber i4 is thus prevented.

To reset the armature 66 in engagement with the pole faces of the magnet frame 56 and thereby position the various parts of the device for steady-state operation, the push button 46 is manually manipulated to move the magnet casing 44 against the bias of the spring 54 and toward the valv seat l8. Such movement of the magnet casing 44 will move the magnet frame 56 toward the armature 66 and will also move the edge 86 of the magnet casing 44 into engagement with the offset portion 84 of the bell-crank lever 14.

As the magnet casing 44 moves downward, the edge 86 thereof moves along the offset portion 84 of the bell-crank lever 14 and the bell-crank lever 14 is rotated in counterclockwise direction, as viewed in the drawings, about the shaft 82 to move the armature stem 54 and armature 66 toward the magnet frame 56. This movement of the bell-crank lever 14 is thus effective to compress the spring 12 and remove the restraint thereof from the valve member 36 permitting the same to move under the bias of the spring 34 away from the valve seat l8. At this point in the operation, the various parts of the device are positioned as shown in Fig. 3 and fuel will be permitted to flow from the inlet chamber outlet chamber 14.

When the coil 58 is sufiiciently energized to maintain the armature 66 in the attracted position, for example, when a thermocoupl becomes heated, the push button 46 may be released and the magnet casing A l permitted to return to its initial position under the bias of the spring 55. Upon such movement of the magnet casing 44, the magnet frame 56 will move upward, as viewed in the drawing, carrying the armature 66 and armature stem 64 therewith. The armature stem 64 is thus moved farther away from th valve seat i8 and the valve member 30 will be permitted to move to the position shown in Fig. 2.

When the parts are thus positioned, the device is in condition for steady-state operation and will remain in such condition until the coil 58 is deenergized, at which time the various parts of the device will return to the position shown in Fig.1.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that an electromagnetically controlled valve having a magnet movable to reset the same has been adapted to open during the resetting operation and accordingly the disclosed embodiment accomplishes the objects of the invention.

Although the disclosed embodiment of this invention has been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting as the invention may be variously embodied and is to be interpreted as claimed.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A control device comprising a valve body having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat intersecting said inlet and outlet, a valve member movable between controlling positions relative to said valve seat, electromagnetic means including a movable magnet frame and an armature movable between attracted and released positions relative to said frame, said armature being operatively engageable with said valve member in said released position to hold the same in one controlling position, thermoelectric means adapted for energizing said electromagnetic means but insufficiently to attract said armature from released position, means for imparting rectilinear movement to said magnet frame, means for moving said armature toward said attracted position, and means cooperable With said magnet frame for actuating said last named means upon movement of said magnet frame toward said armature.

2. A control device comprising a valve body having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat intersecting said inlet and outlet, a valve member movable between controlling positions relative to said valve seat, electromagnetic means including a movable magnet frame and an armature movable between attracted and released positions relative to said frame, said armature being operatively engageable with said valve member in said released position to hold the same in one controlling position, thermoelectric means adapted for energizing said electromagnetic means but insufiiciently to attract said armature from released position, means for imparting rectilinear movement to said magnet frame, a lever device operatively engageable with said armature for moving said armature to said attracted position, and means cooperable with said magnet frame for actuating said lever device upon move- IZtOthe 6; ment of said magnet frame toward said arma-' ture.

3. A control device comprising a valve body having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat intersecting said inlet and outlet, a valve member movable toward and away from said valve seat, electromagnetic means including a movable magnet frame and an armature movable between attracted and released position relative to said frame, said armature being biased toward said seat and operatively engageable with said valve member in said released position to hold the same in engagement with said seat, thermoelectric means adapted for energizing said electromagnetic means but insufiiciently to attract said armature from released position, means for imparting rectilinear movement to said magnet frame, means for moving said armature against said bias, and means cooperable with said magnet frame for actuatin said last named means when said magnet fram moves toward said armature.

4. A control device comprising a valve body having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat intersecting said inlet and outlet, a valve member movable toward and away from said valve seat, electromagnetic means including a movable magnet frame and an armature movable between attracted and released positions relative to said frame, said armature being biased toward said seat and operatively engageable with said valve member in said released position to hold the same in engagement with said seat, thermoelectric means adapted for energizing said electromagnetic means but insufliciently to attract said armature from released position means for holding said valve member away from said seat when said armature is in said attracted position, means for biasing said magnet frame away from said seat, resettin means for moving said magnet frame against said last named bias, means for moving said armature toward said attracted position, and means cooperable with said magnet frame for actuating said last named means when said magnet frame moves toward said armature to move said valve member away from said valve seat during said resetting operation.

5. A control device comprising a valve body having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat intersecting said inlet and outlet, a valve member movable toward and away from said seat, electromagnetic means including a movable magnet frame and an armature movable between attracted and released positions relative to said frame, said armature being biased toward said seat and operatively engageable with said valve member in said released position to hold the same in engagement with said seat, thermoelectric means adapted for energizin said electromagnetic means but insufficiently to attract said armature from released position, means for holding said valve member away from said seat while said armature is in said attracted position, means for biasing said magnet frame away from said seat, resetting means for moving said magnet frame against said last named bias, a lever de- Vice operatively engageable with said armature for movin said armature to said attracted position, and means cooperable with said magnet frame for actuating said lever device during the resettin operation to move said valve member away from said valve seat during said resetting operation.

6. A control device as claimed in claim 5 where- 7 in said last named means comprises a-casing sur rounding said magnet frame and movable there" with into operative engagement with said lever device.

'7. A resetting devioe'for an electromagnetic shut off valve having a magnet frame, an arma ture separable therefrom for movement between attracted and released positions, and thermoelectric means adapted for energizing said mag net but insufiiciently to attract said armature from released position, comprising means for moving the magnetframe toward the armature, means for movingthe armature toward the magnet frame, and means for actuatin said last named means in response to operation of said first named means.

8. A control device comprisin a, valve body having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat intersecting said inlet and outlet, a valve member movable toward and away from said seat, a hollow housin on said valve body having an opening registering with an opening formed in said valve body, flexible diaphragm means between said valve body and saidhousing for preventing communication therebetween, electromagnetic means in, said housing including a movable magnet frame and an armature movable between attracted and released positions relative to said frame, said armature being biased toward said seat and operatively engageable with 8. said valve member in said released position to hold the same in engagement with said seat, thermoelectric means adapted for energizing said electromagnetic means but insufliciently to attract said armature from released position, means for holding said valve member away from said seat while said armature is in said attracted position, means for biasing said magnet frame away from said seat, resetting means for moving said magnet frame against said last named bias, a bellcrank lever pivoted on said housing and having one end thereof engageable with said armature, the other end of said bell-crank lever extending toward said magnet frame, a casin surrounding said magnet frame and being movabl therewith, said casing being engageable with said other end of said bell-crank lever for pivoting the same during said resetting operation to move said armature toward said magnet and release said valve member for movement away from said valve seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

